


Gone

by mommywrites



Series: Random Akuma [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akuma Attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26173933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mommywrites/pseuds/mommywrites
Summary: Marinette goes missing after an akuma attack.
Series: Random Akuma [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805482
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	Gone

**Author's Note:**

> Set after the Season 3.

Gone

Marinette was gone.

She left on her own, she ran away, she was taken, he did not have a clue.

_That morning akuma was Vanisher, appeared just when Adrien was on his way to school. The man made everything and everyone he hit disappear. Adrien fled the car and transformed, he found Ladybug already on the rooftop._

“ _You don’t believe in magic? You believe only in the things that are real? You have no faith! I’ll show you!” Vanisher yelled as he let his ray of purple light remove random objects and people from existence._

_It was a hard fight, Ladybug called for a lucky charm and got a lucky charm bracelet. Perhaps its purpose was just that, because it indicated the akumatized object, a lucky charm bracelet along the akuma’s wrist._

_Chat lunged, ran and jumped towards the akuma while Ladybug took his attention, he activated his cataclysm mid air, but Ladybug’s yoyo got hit by Vanisher’s ray and disappeared. Well, she was using it as a shield so it made sense._

_Ladybug took the lucky charm and cast the cure to retrieve back her yoyo so she could cleanse the akuma. Chat flew towards the akuma, cataclysm activated. The akuma aimed at Ladybug at that moment. Yoyo appeared, Ladybug was still there, butterfly was cleansed._

_Chat Noir rushed back to an alley to detransform and reach school in time, he was in a hurry and did not notice Ladybug was confused and there was no fist bump. But then, it was the morning rush hour and she wasn’t really a morning person._

Chat Noir bounced from rooftop to rooftop. Marinette was missing, he searched the streets, parks and avenues for a pair of familiar pigtails.

“I picked up Marinette so she doesn’t get late for our project presentation this morning.” Alya explained to Ms Bustier. “Then there was an akuma attack, she ran back home because it was close while I chased after the akuma. But she never made it home, Ms Bustier.”

Tom and Sabine were alarmed by Alya who searched for Marinette. Officer Raincomprix issued an early warning, Marinette was a minor so there was no need to wait for 24 hours to complete, but the full on search and investigation was not yet on.

Adrien asked Juleka to ask Luka if he heard from Marinette but the girl returned a confused and odd look before she finally sent out a message. Adrien messaged Kagami, just in case. Kagami replied instantly, worried about their mutual friend.

‘ _I don’t know where she is,_ _last time I was her was a week ago with you,_ _but I’ll help search for her._ ’ Adrien saw the reply from Luka on Juleka’s phone, he could not help it, his curiosity and concern for his classmate and friend was strong.

“I am worried about Marinette.” Adrien admitted to Plagg in the locker room where he excused himself from class.

“Why don’t you transform and look for her.” Plagg offered. The boy did not doubt why his kwami offered that, he simply used the chance.

He had already noticed few of his classmates that roamed the streets too, apparently Ms Bustier let them search for their classmate as there was little chance to keep the students in school that morning.

Adrien was barely old enough to watch some crime and investigation series, but what he learned was to start the search where the person lived. Chat Noir had more emotional issues of breaking into the girl’s room than physical difficulties in doing that form her rooftop window.

The room was as pink as he remembered. There were plenty of photos of him on the walls, he expected to find more individual photos of Luka, not only a few of the Kitty Section, and even those actually featured Adrien at the keyboards although he was not a full member.

Chat Noir easily located the box that held the girl’s diary. He knew that it held the clue of where the girl might be but he did not dare open it just yet. He might be inclined to invade her privacy that much if she went missing for a little longer.

After a quick search, he opened that huge trunk at last. It held plenty of wrapped gifts, and those few labels he checked had Adrien’s name on it. He was so confused he froze on the spot. He left the wrapped presents back in the trunk and slammed it close.

The screen saver and the background of her computer screen were again made up of the pictures of him. He managed to stumble upon one of her sketchbooks, one where she often scribbled something and opened it, it wasn’t like he was reading her diary.

It wasn’t just a sketch book, she kept all kinds of notes there, an address, a time and date of an event, she scribbled anything she wanted to remember for later. And then he saw it, it was like a love poem, but for him, it began with his civilian name.

Chat flipped thorough the sketchbook

He was just about to return to the trunk and search deeper when he heard of the next akuma attack. He swiftly bounced up on the rooftop and followed the screams. He could already see the damage done in the distance.

Ladybug was off, no dazzling smile, no groans, no frustration and no enthusiasm. She called her lucky charm and got a whip. But she had no idea. She held the whip in in her hand confused. Then she decided to use it simply as a whip and jumped into the battle.

Chat went after her, she was going to tell him what the plan was, right? But soon he started to doubt she had a plan at all, or any will or motivation to fight. Chat got smashed into a wall more than once while he tried to protect her.

Ladybug was not fighting the way she used to.

Chat got smacked to the side again and he watched helplessly how akuma got closer to Ladybug. He saw rather clearly when the akuma took hold of her earrings and pulled. There was a flash of pink, and then nobody was there in the place where Ladybug was.

Alya gasped, the hero heard her, the akuma heard her too, of course she was streaming the battle on her Ladyblog, what else was she supposed to do, it was stronger than her, it was like breathing.

Chat Noir stared at the spot, at the thin air that occupied space where the hero was just few seconds ago. He expected to see the civilian there, the girl who wielded Ladybug’s miraculous, but the spot was empty, void of any body or identity, there was nothing.

Apparently, Hawk Moth and the akuma were equally confused, as the Smasher stared at the empty spot with violet mask on his face on a random rooftop just few streets away from the Seine. Chat realized he was the remaining hero and the only target and hid behind a chimney.

The akuma had to be in that funny collar he was wearing, Chat decided, and he needed to act fast, uncertain what would Hawk Moth want the akuma to do next. Smasher might take the earrings straight to Hawk Moth and Chat was ready to follow him.

But then he noticed the Tvi news helicopter that hovered above them and filmed the akuma. Well, if Smasher took the earrings straight to Hawk Moth he was going to be followed by the news team too. And that made going to the Hawk Moth’s lair slightly less likely.

Chat now had two girls to worry about, first of all, Marinette was still missing and he still considered the option that it had something to do with the akuma from that morning. The second issue was that Ladybug’s earrings were now with the akuma.

And in the place of the hero there was only thin air. An idea flashed through his mind that perhaps civilian Ladybug was not even real, that she was some pure ethereal being underneath, that was why she dazed him, that was why she was so superior.

But then he shook his head, he was certain that there was a girl underneath. That mask, a girl he loved so much, a girl he tried to move on from, a girl who repeatedly told him that they could not be together, that there was another boy (once) but never that she had no feelings for him.

The akuma was going his way and Chat decided to go for it, he was going for an attack, he sneaked lightly to the side, just not to be in the spot where he was last seen, but as he glanced around the corner, he saw Hawk Moth and Mayura not far behind.

Of course that the two villains got out from the lair now that their akuma got so far, they were probably there to retrieve the earrings. But Chat had little time to think and to prepare. Smasher was about to grab him. Chat called his power and lunged forward.

If a black cat miraculous holder ever had any luck, it was then. Chat touched the collar just at the moment he got grabbed around his wrist. The collar disintegrated, the akuma became a normal man, Chat had to steady him on the roof.

The man stared dazed and confused, but Chat just grinned before he went for the other hand and snatched the earrings out from the man’s hand before he vaulted away because Hawk Moth and Mayura were still at his heels.

Chat’s ring was beeping its last warning when he finally detransformed in an alley. He gave Plagg some cheese.

“I will have to take the ring off for a while Plagg.” The boy noted. “I have the earrings in my pocket.”

“Oh.” Plagg gulped the whole piece of cheese. “I don’t mind.”

Adrien put on the earrings, greeted Tikki who looked rather concerned, and transformed into Mister Bug.

He chased after the butterfly first. It was perhaps a minute or two but it was hard to find, and if it took a minute longer, the butterfly might have multiplied. But Mister Bug cleaned it quickly.

Then he hid for a moment. He needed to think. Hawk Moth and Mayura might be out and about but he did not see them. He checked around warily as he proceeded back to the rooftop where Ladybug’s earrings were taken from her.

Then he launched his yoyo in the air and got back a lucky charm, all beads were red with black spots. He snickered at the irony, then he wished at least one of the girls he was looking for would return to him and tossed in the air and called for the miraculous Ladybug cure.

A swirl of Ladybugs washed over the city and fixed the damage that Smasher did. Chat watched the miracle and wondered if he was going to be doing that from then on, because how was he to return the earrings to some unknown entity, if Ladybug was not a girl.

The swirl of ladybugs was rather busy all over the city before all the ladybugs converged back to him, he watched them in awe, he almost flinched away when they returned but they occupied the empty space beside him.

When the swirl of Ladybugs vanished, he saw a very familiar girl on the rooftop beside him. She looked like she was sleeping.

“Marinette” He whispered. Gentle smile adorned his face, he found her, it must have been related to the first akuma attack because she went missing then and she was brought back by the Ladybug magic. He pulled her closer to his chest and then lifter her up on his arms.

She started to stir awake the moment he spoke, perhaps even before that, but she was slow and she opened her eyes only when she felt herself lifted off from the rooftop. Her mind was still in haze as she tried to remember what went on. Then his earrings beeped.

“Don’t worry Princess, I’m taking you home.” Mister Bug whispered and ran over the rooftops. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held tight while he jumped over streets to reach her home as soon as he could.

Marinette was quiet, because there was Mister Bug and she did not remember a single thing since the morning akuma attack. She first noticed her civilian clothing and he called her ‘princess’ not ‘My Lady’. He was indeed taking her home.

“Monsieur Dupain, Madame Cheng.” Mister Bug called as he walked into the bakery. There were other customers, but they stood aside as soon as the hero walked in. “I found her, she appeared by my side after the second miraculous cure.” His earrings beeped.

“Oh!” Sabine exclaimed as soon as she recognized her daughter. “Please come inside.” She let him pass behind her and into the bakery kitchen. “This hero found her, she disappeared during the first akuma attack this morning.”

Tom wrapped his hands around both of them.

“We have to let Nadia know, we alarmed each of our customers.” Sabine smiled.

“Are you okay, darling?” Tom grinned at his daughter.

“I … I’m fine.” Marinette mumbled out. She took in Mister Bug beside her and she was certain that the last thing she remembered was casting a miraculous cure after an akuma called Vanisher. She wasn’t certain if Chat Noir, or Mister Bug, knew her identity.

They hugged them both and cooed over the girl for a while, but Mister Bug was not letting her down to stand on her own two feet. She wanted to send him away, but at the same time she wanted to know if he knew who she was.

“Listen darling, why don’t you and our new hero … “ Sabine looked at the boy.

“Mister Bug.” He grinned. Then his earrings beeped.

“I’m really sorry, but I have to go now.” Mister Bug finally let Marinette stand on her feet, saluted and ran away.

“I found Marinette, Tikki.” Adrien grinned as soon as he detransformed in a bathroom stall in school. “I mean, I found my friend.”

“Did you learn Ladybug’s identity, Adrien.” Tikki chirped, but her blue eyes explored him.

“When the akuma took her earrings, there was only thin air.” Adrien replied. “I don’t know how to return the earrings to her.” He shrugged and looked thoughtfully at his hands.

The memory of the threat that they would have to give up their miraculous if their identities were revealed to anybody was still fresh.

“So you don’t think that Marinette is Ladybug.” Tikki concluded.

“No, I saw them together during Kwamibuster.” Adrien confirmed.

Tikki seemed satisfied with the answer.

“Listen, are you able to find Ladybug and give her the earrings? Like you brought me the earrings during the fight with Reflecta and Reflectdoll?” He looked back at Tikki.

“Of course.” The tiny red goddess of creation confirmed.

Adrien took off the earrings and gave them to Tikki. Then he took out the ring and put it on his finger. Plagg appeared from the ring.

“Hey kid! Hi Sugarcube!” The god of destruction greeted the two.

“I told you not to call me that, Plagg.” Tikki chirped. “Well, I’m going.”

“Plagg! I found Marinette.” Adrien smiled. “She appeared after I launched the miraculous cure.”

“Don’t tell me you prefer Tikki’s powers.” Plagg retorted.

“No” Adrien scratched Plagg behind his ears. “Well, maybe sometimes, when those powers bring me my friend back.” The boy smiled gently. Plagg rolled his eyes.

“Well, I better head back to class. Everyone must be back already, they got the message that Marinette was found.” Adrien tossed a piece of cheese to Plagg.

“What about Ladybug?” Plagg inquired.

“Well, Tikki is going to bring her the earrings. I still don’t know who she is. There was only thin air when the akuma took her earrings. Is it possible that she is some ethereal being … “ Adrien was speaking but he got interrupted by Plagg’s laughter.

In fact, the tiny kwami laughed so hard that Adrien had to grab him and silence him.

“It is just … I always thought that Ladybug was a girl.” Adrien hissed. “Stop cackling, someone will hear you.” Then he produced a piece of cheese from his bag to silence the kwami and proceed to his classroom.

Later that evening, Adrien had a lot to think about, but he also had to play piano for his father.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.


End file.
